March, 2014

One of the biggest criticisms I frequently see leveled at gaming is that it's an inherently antisocial activity; that it promotes introversion, inactivity, and generally poor behavior. Turns out, none of that is necessarily true - video games may actually form the foundation of modern youth culture.

NASA's Curiosity Rover currently has a long trip ahead of it - the drone is on its way to Mount Sharp, where it will investigate the geological history of Mars. It won't arrive there for a few months, however...so in the meantime, it's just enjoying the ride, taking samples and snapshots along the way.

Taking medicines is something that should not be taken lightly and, at all times, the patient should follow all the doctor's indications, specially indications related to the dosage and the times when they should be taken. However, sometimes patients forget to take their medicines, messing up the recovery. Now, a smart skin patch has been developed that not only assesses the need of medication, but also applies the needed dosage in a given moment.

Fashion inspired by literature is not a new concept. Some designers have
selected literal interpretations - incorporating the image of a book or
its pages into a whimsical garment. Others are more focused on
fictional fashion, taking a note from the heroes or heroines and
bringing their wardrobes to life. The most recent designer to tackle
this trend has decided to focus on menswear inspired by a character well
lusted after and envied.

One thing boomers learn fast: Medicare and other insurance plans don't
pay for hearing aids. And those buggers can cost up to $4,000 - $5,000 a
pair. There's perhaps no one who knows these facts better than the man
who invented the Lyric hearing aid, which, on a subscription basis,
cost that much per pair per year! Now, that man, Adnan Shannib,
has invented iHear, the hearing aid for the 99 percent of us who would
love to hear, but can't afford those Lyric prices. It's the iHear, and
wait 'til you see what's different about these hearing aids!

You know that Bitcoins have gone mainstream when this unique form of tender is featured in the
plot line of a current TV drama. That's right - the world's first
decentralized cryptocurrency lacking any political authority was
featured in the recent season finale episode of the Fox network series, 'Almost Human.' Granted, while the premise of that detective drama is set in the year 2048. . .

Citizens of notoriously smoggy Zhengzhou could breathe a little easier – for a few minutes, at least – thanks to a local travel company's promotional gimmick. Staffers brought 20 big blue bags of fresh air collected 120 miles (300 km) away at Laojun Mountain to the east-central Chinese city and distributed it to grateful mask-wearing residents.

Athletes are always looking for an advantage--something that will make them better than their opponent or allow them to perform with greater ease. Track athletes, specifically sprinters, may find their advantage in a new 3D printed track shoe. With 3D printing, sprinters can get custom-made, lightweight track spikes.

Intel is rather serious about making a mark in the slate PC market. Serious enough, in fact, that it will soon augment its lineup of Atom processors with nine or so new ones. Even the partial specs list we've gotten a hold of is confusing, so allow me to untangle it for you.

The vast majority of the innovations covered here in InventorSpot come from the minds of brilliant engineers, creators and inventors, people who are used to create new, amazing and useful things. But, today, I am bringing an innovation that has been created by a regular mother, with a son having cerebral palsy: she spent years building a device that allows him to stand and walk. Finally, the device is ready and is an astounding success.

Even though technology is always evolving and has now reached amazing levels, there are some areas where technology has not been thoroughly applied, at least not in the way we often are used to. Recently, Israeli developers have created high-tech shoes that help with the balance, preventing falls which are a true menace to everyone but specially to elderly people.

April Fool's Day might be an under-rated holiday, or one that's universally dreaded. Whatever it is, there are some great businesses that will help you make a friend of yours into an April Fool to ring in the 1st of the month!

A few years from now, traditional athletes won't be the only ones competing for gold and glory. The Cybathlon - an Olympic competition designed for bionic athletes - is planned for 2016, and will include exoskeletons, prothestic limbs, and even a virtual-reality competition.

Project Morpheus - Sony's upcoming virtual reality headset - won't just change AAA gaming on the PlayStation 4. Sony today revealed that it intends to provide Morpheus headsets to pretty much any independent developer who's the desire to work with the platform. There's a very good reason for that.

It's hard to say, looking twenty to thirty years into the future, just how different the digital landscape will look. Semantic
Technology, Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality and Web 3.0 are presently only toddling along in their infant stage. What they will look like in the next few decades is only
guesswork on our part.

Hey there, ladies and gents! Today, I'm going to present you with one of the creepiest inventions I've seen in a while. It's called Socibot Mini. This little robot - which wears the face of one of your friends - is capable of reading your mood through a camera. Lovely, right?

Imagine having a search engine at your disposal that allows you to enter your own picture as its query. WIth Huiiz -- an upcoming, innovative facial recognition search engine -- you can do just that. Simply drag and drop an image yourself, and you'll be presented with all the places you face has been plastered on the web -- places you may not even be aware of.

The Land Art Generator Initiative (LAGI), Refshaleøen Holding, and the
IT University of Copenhagen have teamed up for a grandiose competition
to discover a fantastic idea for a beautiful public art instillation
that will double as a source of renewable and green energy. The best
design gets built, and the inventor behind it earns $20,000!

Runtastic
released a new version of their flagship app today, to
track and manage health and fitness data to motivate individuals to get
in shape. By crunching the numbers on your activity, personal stats, and local
weather conditions, Runtastic will provide a post-hydration
recommendation to ensure you are staying hydrated.

Wearable technology is a burgeoning fiscal force in South Korea and the Korean government is pushing for K-Glass innovations. What is K-Glass? What advantages to Google Glass does it offer to lovers of wearable technology in general and head mounted displays specifically? Read on for some interesting answers.

Suffering from hayfever? A new treatment that doesn't involve taking
antihistamines every day for the rest of your life is in the works. It's
called Allergia, and it's a phototherapeutic medical device that
suppresses the sneezing, runny nose and nasal congestion of seasonal allergenic rhinitis (SAR).

I've got some bad news for those of you who've been waiting for Oculus VR to revolutionize the world of video games - it might not be happening. Earlier today, Facebook acquired the company for $2 billion. Not surprisingly, industry figures and financial analysts alike weren't exactly pleased.

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 continues - fruitlessly. That might change in the near future. Crews searching for debris from the flight can now count on help from a fleet of 3600 floating robots released into the world's oceans.

Being the adoptive mother of several feral cats, I've had my share of
challenges just training them to do their stuff in a litter box, but
there are reasons - several, I understand - to train your cat to "go" in
a toilet bowl. Many cat owners have tried and failed to do this, but
there is help in the form of toilet training kits for cats. You will need patience regardless of which kit you choose, but those who've trained their cats couldn't be happier that they're saving money on cat litter and living in a cleaner home environment.

Facebook's unprecedented recent $19 billion acquisition of WhatsApp helped bolster the social networks' stock price 158% over the past year. In my recent blog post, "WhatsApp With Facebook's Stock?…"
FB moved from $25 in February, 2013 to $70 one year later on February
26, 2014. However in acquiring the virtual reality software startup Oculus Rift
this week for $2 billion, not all analysts agree that the stock market is pleased with. . .

Social media has made sharing life events, trips, and lunch easier than
ever. Thanks to websites and apps like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram,
users are able to share with their friends, family, and followers
everything from scenic hikes to bland lunches in a matter of minutes. In
the age of oversharing, what devices can accomplish these tasks the
best? Here's a list of five cameras perfect for sharing your life with
friends and family!

Quick question - did any of you want to get any sleep tonight? Yes? Then it might be a good idea for you to skip this article. What I'm about to show you may well be one of the most nightmarish dance robots ever invented. You have been warned.

The radio controlled innovators at Kidztech Toys have created awesome
mobile vehicles under their Gearmaxx brand, as well as the
world-renowned Bugatti, Lambourghini and Porsche licenses, but the
Chinese manufacturer is turning to you to deliver the next big thing in
radio controlled toys!

"Swing like a dolphin and challenge gravity like Iron Man." That's what Flyboard Magazine promises for new flyboarders. Invented in 2011, by Franky Zapata, Flyboarding is a sport that allows you to fly above the water, doing flips and turns (once you've mastered the throttle and gathered your balance), and dive down into it only to thrust yourself out again back into the air. Sounds awesome, huh? Here are the details...

It's been a few days since the 2014 Game Developer's Conference in San Francisco drew to a close. It was a big year this time around, with a whole host of awesome announcements, keynotes, and revelations. Now that we've all had a few days to process the conference, why not take a look back?

Xprize - known for awesome projects like a working Star Trek Tricorder - has set its sights on an entirely new frontier: artificial intelligence. The outfit is teaming up with TED in order to produce a TED talk presented entirely by an artificial intelligence. That's not all - they want your help.

Perhaps you've read that the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and
the American Heart Association (AHA) issued new guidelines on which
persons should take statin drugs for the prevention of heart disease
and stroke. On March 19, 2014, in the New England Journal of Medicine,
the AHA presented these guidelines, including age, gender, and race, as
well as various pre-existing health conditions that might call for
statin intervention. But what do the new guidelines mean for you?

Kinivo brings us their offering into the Bluetooth speaker market.
Unlike many speakers in the $100 price range, the M2 by Kinivo is a
three piece system with two high/midrange speakers and one 6.5"
subwoofer. While this cuts down on the portability of the product, it
lets the M2 system shine when it comes to full range audio.

If you're looking for a heart rate monitor, stop going through chest straps and watches. Instead grab a headset. Grab an iriverOn. This wireless headset has a built in biometric sensor that gives real time heart rate measurements. Just connect to your smartphone and get exercise data while you listen to music.

The Glowfaster smart jacket is the latest contender in ‘health
conscious’ wearable technologies. This innovative idea utilizes health-tech features (heart rate sensor, GPS tracking) and presents them in a new,
motivational, way. With other wearable technologies on the horizon, how will the Glowfaster stack up?

Who wouldn't love to see in the dark? An idea best remembered
from the rainy Tyrannosaurus Rex scene in the original Jurassic Park
movie in 1987, night vision, without clunky technology, is finally getting closer to reality. Researchers at University of Michigan have developed a prototype using graphene to embed into a contact lens or smart
phone camera lens.

With all the controversy of Zohydro
(a painkiller that is about to receive FDA approval despite an 11-2
vote against it by independent experts), the field of electroceuticals
has been launched back into the news: the field of bioelectronics to develop alternatives to
drugs to manipulate the nervous system.

For a Prime Minister who's embraced technology more so than other national leaders of sovereign states, one's hard pressed to sympathize with a man who chose to ban Twitter to cover up a political scandal. The disruption and "going dark" incident sparked public fury and outrage. . .

There are two primary challenges facing the world of robotics at the moment: the navigation of complex environments, and the ability to collide safely with humans. MIT's Computer Science And Artificial Intelligence Laboratory appears to have overcome both, with a robotic fish made of silicone.

Today the FDA gave approval to the Nucleus Hybrid L24 Cochlear Implant System, the first implantable hearing device for adults
with the most common type of hearing loss: profound sensorineural hearing loss, that happens as a result of aging, hereditary, or just from attending too many heavy metal concerts.

If you're a TV junkie like myself who gravitates towards fast-paced high-stakes thrillers
in this new Golden Age of television, you most likely have also been
schooled on the new lexicon of terms used to solve cases. Ever since the
award-winning FX series Damages first premiered in 2007 with intricate plot twists, red herrings, foreshadowing and nonlinear narratives. . .

Smart watches are all the craze right now. From Pebble to Samsung,
everyone is trying to get a piece of the wrist real estate. But what do
most of these smart watches have in common? They need a smart phone to
connect to them. That's where Phosphor's Touch Time is different. The Touch Time requires no connectivity to a phone, and
doesn't need to be charged like a phone or traditional smart watch.

Bed, bath, window and general designer décor brand Victoria Classics is
on the hunt for innovative products that will fit in with their huge
line of comfortable home goods. If you propose a design that improves on
how consumers enjoy any of the areas listed above, they’re ready to
team up with you!

When you read the word Soylent, it may conjure up images of Charlton Heston and a dystopian future. However, Rob Rhinehart hopes to change that. Soylent is actually a food substitute, crafted with several ingredients that intend to give its consumers all
of the necessary nutrients and calories required for a single day. Thus, a few cups of Soylent a day is all you need to sustain yourself.

You want your pets to live a long life in the best health possible.
It's only natural. That's what the inventor group of high-tech
innovators wanted for their pets, and that's why they created the
Whistle, a wearable monitor for dogs that enables you to set health
goals for them and make sure they're reaching them, even while you're
away.

His other car is a hog, and we don't mean a Harley. A 68-year-old Chinese man accustomed to walking the streets of Chongqing hasn't been feeling too perky of late... so he got porky instead! The local pig farmer now makes like a Mongol Mongo as he cruises Chongqing on his quarter-ton Hogzilla.

Last year Michael Mosley swallowed a camera to broadcast the inside of his stomach, live on BBC, and now a much more advanced "camera" has been developed that promises to send 3D images of the inside of your arteries.

The latest version of the ever-popular Unity game development engine was announced this week at GDC 2014. Unity 5 brings to the table a whole array of significant changes, including a huge update to Unity's audio and lighting tools as well as 64-bit support. That's not all it brings, either.

Currently, the problem with a lot of human-like robots is how undeniably inhuman they appear. In spite of their creators' best efforts, there's still something undeniably 'off' about them. Researchers may have just discovered why, and in so doing, how to address the issue.

For the last half century, space junk has been circling the earth in very destructive patterns. Now an Australian team of scientists addresses the problem head on armed with high- tech, infra-red lasers that will zap the debris out into space. Read on for more information.

As the Ukrainian Spring has escalated and boiled over with the
Crimea vote for succession from the Ukraine, it's now clear these
altercations are not only land-based. A group calling themselves the
'Cyber Berkut' have also gone digital to attack their opponents in
cyberspace.

Diagnosing illness just got easier and, well, breezier thanks to an innovative medical breathalyzer from Japan's Toshiba Corporation. The dishwasher-sized device, currently in the testing stage, is able to detect a wide range of illnesses within 30 seconds after a user blows into the machine.

At the Oppo Find 7 press conference,
Oppo announced the O-Band wearable fitness device, their contribution
to the host of existing wearable fitness devices on the market. Functionality
includes a pedometer, a sleep monitor and an alarm clock. As well as
the regular bells and whistles, the O-Band works as a phone locator, and
a remote shutter so you can take photos with your phone from a
distance.

Epilepsy affects over 3 million people in the US alone. Not as many as Asthma (25 million people), or Diabetes (26 million people),
but more than multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy and Parkinson's
combined with 50,000 people dying from epilepsy causes each year. Dialog is
"a concept to help people with epilepsy gain a deeper understanding of
their condition and make better decisions about their care".

Students at Carnegie Mellon University have put together a robot that's capable of playing scrabble - and trash talking its opponents as it does so. Victor, as its known, has been installed in the computer science lounge for the last 18 months, where it's battled - and berated - countless foes.

Plaid Enterprises, Inc., the company behind classic crafting goodies
like Mod Podge, FolkArt paint, and Gallery Glass, are searching for the
next big thing in do-it-yourself consumer products. If you’ve got an
invention that will make crafting easier and more fun, they might pick
up your product!

Chinese products at one time were known as cheap and poorly made, today’s Chinese manufacturing can produce goods from low value mass produced items to highest quality handcrafted items.There are several factors that are critical for effectively sourcing products from overseas manufacturers.

Going camping? If so, you probably have a tent. Nothing special, just a regular old, set-it-up-and-go-to-sleep tent. Imagine taking your tent off the ground and into the trees. With the Tentsile Stingray and Dre Wapenaar's Tretents, you can enjoy the camping experience suspended in midair.

Samsung have just released an Ultrasonic
Cover that works as a virtual white cane for smartphone users who happen to be blind or visually impaired, so users can detect obstacles
and navigate unfamiliar places. With
90% of the world's 285 million blind people living in developing countries, it's no surprise Samsung have
built this Ultrasonic Cover for their low-end Galaxy Core Advance.

You can add puzzles to the long list of things robots are already better
than us at doing. A Lego robot called Cubestormer 3 just solved a
Ruik's Cube puzzle in 3.253 seconds, shattering the existing world speed
record. Yes, a robot constructed out of a children's toy is a
world-class puzzle champ.

A group of video game and technology companies have banded together to found the Immersive Technology Alliance. This nonprofit group is dedicated to developing games for augmented reality, virtual reality, 3D, and gesture controls. Curiously, Oculus VR is not part of this coalition; no one seems certain why.

While we live in an era of immense choices, to the average shooter, the wide array of equipment choices can appear overwhelming. You need a good set of lights, mounts, audio, and of course, an excellent camera. Don't despair! For much less than you fear, you can own your very own professional and high quality videography kit. Take a look at what I recommend

If you've ever worked out or trained physically for an event, then you have probably been introduced to muscle soreness, fatigue and stiffness, and you know that there's only so much ice and rest can do to help you recover. However, there is a way to speed up the recovery process and eliminate some of that stiffness and soreness. RecoveryPump is a natural, aggressive system designed to enhance recovery.

They see you rollin, they hatin... not to mention pointin & gigglin. Rilakkuma automotive alloy wheels are not only officially licensed by Sanrio but Japanese auto parts & accessories company MLJ Inc also offers colorful Rilakkuma tire valve covers to complete the uber-cute look and keep your car in character.

The way human infants learn motor skills - by grasping continually at whatever object they can get their hands on - is being used as a design inspiration for a new generation of robots. A German engineering firm has created a bionic elephant trunk that can learn - and be taught - like a baby.

Video games about war always seem to have players step into the shoes of an iron-willed, strong-jawed soldier. They don't usually address the impact war has on its victims - ordinary men and women. That's what 11 Bit Studios hopes to do with This War of Mine, a game more about survival than gunplay.

The Brabus 800 iBusiness G65 AMG from Mercedes-Benz is serious business for serious businessmen (and businesswomen). If you're a power broker whose driven to succeed, then there's nothing better than working the levers of power while driving to and from work in the ultimate executive sweet ride.

Roboy is a robot created with a very specific purpose: to move like a human. It's hoped that Roboy's design -3D-printed bones, joints, tends, and coiled-spring muscles - will allow robots and humans to work in closer proximity to one another, with the former posing less of a threat to the latter.

Cat owners have more than cat-loving in common. We have boxes of cat
toys that our cats ignore. And, we've all spent a lot of time trying to
figure out what toys can really keep our cats busy for more than a
minute or two. Here's a tip: surprises.

What’s SUP everyone? Just in case you didn’t know, “SUP” stands for
stand up paddle board, and as cool as they are to ride, they have a few
features that could be improved upon. If you help GrabCAD and 3D
Creation Systems to design the ultimate SUP, you could win some great
prizes!

One of the worst feelings in the world is losing your wallet or keys. You immediately begin to retrace your steps desperately trying to find your lost item. Trackr hopes to
alleviate some of this stress by giving users a simple GPS tracking
device that will help you recover your lost or stolen items.

Smart technology isn't just for the computer geeks anymore. The 94Fifty Smart Sensor Basketball brings smart technology to the court. This Smart Basketball makes it easier for players to practice with purpose, instantly measuring different aspects of the players' offensive games. It also doubles as a coach, giving drills and feedback.

Whether you call them umbrellas, brollies, or bumbershoots, this canopy to protect us from the rain has one significant problem -- it uses up one of our hands. This means that you have to choose between holding on to your cuppa joe or your cell phone, or your glass of beer and your sweetie's hand. Worry not! The answer is on the way! It is called Morella and it is a cup holder that attaches to the handle of your umbrella.

Razer - known for its gaming hardware and peripherals - today announced two new versions of their ultra-thin Razer Blade Laptops, bringing to the table better displays, enhanced apps, and overall better computing performance. They're pricy, but if you're into portability, it just might be a worthwhile purchase.

Looks like the robot uprising's going to be on hold for at least a few more years. To celebrate the opening of its first plant in Shanghai, China, Kuka Robotics decided to host a match between table tennis champion Timo Boll and one of its industrial robots. Boll won...but was it even a fair fight?

How many times have you found yourself sitting by the fire on a cold
winter's night, wishing you had Bailey's to put in your hot chocolate,
but dismiss the idea since you have already changed into your favorite
cow pajamas? Liquor, like coffee, is one of those things that we all
proclaim we wish would appear through a delivery service, and a new
concept has been introduced to Boston and New York residents.

We have Tim Berners-Lee to thank for the World Wide Web - an accessible
bank of knowledge that's hyperlinked content across the globe bestowing
upon "us mere mortals a real chance to learn as much as our brains can store." And guess what? He did it all before digital monetization. . .

We rely on phones now more than ever. Not
just for conversing, but for emails, GPS, and beating your high score on
the late Flappy Bird. How many times have you found yourself at 5% battery on your phone, and
no where close to a charger? Carbon introduces a wrist unit that can charge
your phone and other mobile accessories.

Today's cities are getting overcrowded and, with that, houses are getting more and more expensive. The solution is, therefore, getting a small house, but if you are working on your own you still need to rent a working space - but what if you could merge both places, cutting down the costs but keeping a truly organized and functional spaces?

Translucent concrete is a wondrous creation that sprang from the brilliant mind of Hungarian architect, Aron Losonczi. It represents a new frontier in architectural construction, design, innovation and beauty. Read on for more information on this fascinating subject.

Women are always on the quest for a mascara that adds volume, defines lashes, and lengthens them. The Upside Down Mascara from Sephora promises to do just that with its revolutionary new wand design and formula.

Samsung recently revealed two new, "hands on", videos for their
upcoming products to give users an in-depth look at their newest technology. The Gear 2 and Gear Fit are the latest in wearable technology, and are
crammed with so many features that it seems almost unbelievable -- while the
Galaxy S5 is bringing up the rear with latest innovations in smart phone
technology.

StaX is a fresh idea that should get a lot of our 3D printer jockeys
excited, and the duo behind the creative aluminum modular containers is
looking to the inventor community for bold new directions to accessorize
the Stax system. Oh, and they’re giving cash to their top three ideas
too!

In a major research project to determine what causes a tumor
to spread to other cells and organs of the body, a team of researchers
from the Wistar Institute and several renowned international research
institutes have discovered a protein that is common in certain
metastacized cancers, but not found in the original site of the
cancer. They have identified the protein LIMD2 in metastatic breast, thyroid,
bladder, and melanoma cells, but not in the original tumors.

One thing that's always troubled me about many RPGs is that they fail to address the psychological, human side of things. It's just sort of assumed that the characters heroically fight their way through, standing against the stuff of nightmares. Darkest Dungeons isn't like that - and I'm intrigued.

Turns out, the answer to the myriad safety concerns surrounding massive industrial robots is virtual reality. Johns Hopkins Computational and Interactove Robotics Lab has developed an Immersive Virtual Robotics Environment that allows workers to directly interact with and control robots.

Ever since the award-winning film "Social Network" caused a stir about the digerati drawn to the Silicon
Valley like moths to a flame, other would-be producers have tried to
capture the zeitgeist of this lifestyle in various forms - books, movies
and TV.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other forms of dementia have evaded
successful therapies though considerable research has focused on their
development. One reason is that they have also evaded prediction, not
even being recognized until memory decline and functional loss appear.
Researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center made a significant
breakthrough in identifying blood-based biomarkers of cognitive
impairment that can be observed through blood testing up to three years
prior to the onset of disease symptoms.

If you want to get in shape, you have to know where to start. Skulpt Aim
is a new device that gives you a good starting point. All you have to do is press this portable
device to your skin, and it measures your body composition, letting you know your
weak spots, and gives you suggestions to improve those weak spots.

I've always been a fan of safety devices, especially for women travelling. Cuff is a stylish safety notification device that is GPS enabled so you can alert your family and friends
to your location when you are walking or traveling alone. It comes as a bracelet, pendant or Cufflinks
(Cufflincs), and competes with a wave of fashionable GPS enabled devices that are hitting the market in 2014.

If you have any size yard at all, you probably recognize this grass, Elymus repens,
aka couch grass, aka dog grass. Dog grass? You guessed it. Dogs, and
actually cats too, love to eat this stuff. But they don't love it enough
to remove the roots of this obnoxious weed that insidiously takes over your entire yard. So, get rid of the "dog grass," and let
your pets eat some other grass that's even better for them. Here are 6
of the most popular grasses you can grow especially for your dogs, cats,
and other pets.

In 2008, Malaysia Airlines teamed up with the British company AeroMobile and launched a new service allowing
passengers to send and receive calls and text messages on their mobile
phones while in the air. The service was made available on single Boeing
777-200 aircraft including the Asian routes of China and Japan.

Soon you will have to buy underwear for your internal organs. A
silicon sock is the first bendy implant to be invented. It covers your
heart with a sheath of electronics, measuring temperature, pH, and
electrical activity in different regions of the heart. It's
expected to eventually replace a pacemaker, stimulating the heart to
regulate the heartbeat.

World governments and technology companies are pledging billions or dollars in to create the next generation of internet. But, they still haven't figured out just what it will be or how it will be used.

he European Union is the latest regulatory body to turn its attention to
free to play games - so named because their revenue comes not from
sales, but from advertising and in-app purchases. This, my friends, is a very, very good thing - here's why.

That’s right, Tweezerman and Edison Nation want to plumb the minds of
salon-minded inventors worldwide to develop an innovative pedicure tool.
Tweezerman is known for making top of the line personal care and beauty
goods, and they’re ready to pay big bucks for your awesome designs!

As a frequent flier, one of the biggest decisions before a flight is
deciding what to pack, and how to do it. With baggage costs rising, many
fliers have tried to circumvent baggage fees by using more
versatile carry on luggage. The problem is that many times this luggage isn't
actually versatile. That gym bag might work fine, but it's not going to
look good when you enter your business meeting the next day. Enter The
Blade, from Avid Union.

With the invasion of granparents, baby pictures, and wedding photos on popular social networks like Facebook and Twitter, everyone is putting on their best face for their online profiles, and it seems there is no true place where one can "go wild." LIVR, a new social network app, that only lets you enter if you are legally intoxicated, hopes to change that.

Next up for health tracking is Wello,
due to ship in the fall. Wello allows you to track your ECG, blood
pressure, blood oxygen, temperature and even lung function (Spirometry) "with clinical accuracy", while doubling as an
iPhone cover. In order to take a reading, you need to place your
thumbs on two points on the back of the case, triggering hidden sensors
to begin testing your vital signs. The goal is to help you manage your
life better over time.

Can you keep a secret? No? Then by 2015, robots will be more trustworthy than you. That's the year a British team of researchers plans to release new programming that allows robots to keep private information, well...private.

Researchers at Harvard University's Stem Cell Institute have
converted skin cells of patients with early-onset Alzheimer's disease
into neurons that are typically affected by the disease. This is the
first time researchers have been able to study the disease in human,
rather than animal, cells, and this ability enhances the possibilities
for earlier treatments for the disease.

've been fascinated with the idea of a Satoshi Nakamoto ever since I began researching the Deep Web where Bitcoin's alleged illegal transactions have run rampant. In my post, "Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Bitcoins But Were Too Broke To Ask," I compared his anonymity to the villainous fictional character Keyser Söze from the hit movie, "The Ususal Suspects."

An alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology has just designed what he's referring to as the world's most advanced robot. The companion bot Charlie proves that size doesn't mean anything, standing at a mere 20 centimeters tall. Sweet, right?

With the arrival of the Samsung Gear, and the highly anticipated Google Glass on the horizon, wearable technology seems to be the new chapter in essential gadgets. Enter "The Earclip-type Wearable PC," an ambitious project that will grant users complete control of a miniature ear computer with a wiggle of the tongue, a raised eyebrow, or even clenching your teeth.

I'm a procrastinator. I've even procrastinated about writing this
article. I read somewhere that you only procrastinate on the things you
don't want to do. But then I read somewhere else that procrastination is
good for you. Who knows.

Isn't there an app for this? Of course there is. And today it's free. It's called Finish.

Earlier this week, I got the chance to host a Skype
interview with Kieran Hicks and Sean Oxspring, developers of #Dungeon, a Roguelike which uses Twitter to build its levels. I was quite intrigued even before our talk, but now that it's done, I can't wait for the game to launch.

Oculus Rift, a virtual reality headset, is already changing the world and it hasn't even gone on sale yet. Here we see what happens when The Legend of Zelda is transformed from 2-D fantasy game to 3-D epic using Oculus RIft and some clever programming techniques.

In the world of apps like SnapChat and Instagram, the selfie reigns
supreme. To prove that point, did you know that "selfie" was the word of
the year in 2013 according to the Oxford Dictionaries? For those of you
that have been living under a rock for the past five years, selfie is a
term used to describe the action taken when taking a picture of one's
self. #TheSelfie (Hashtag included in the product name) is a
shutter controlling device to make taking selfies easier.

Manual dexterity - the ability to open a bottle, to sign a birthday
card is something we take for granted.
When your sense of touch is impaired due to a stroke, diabetes or
otherwise, tying your laces can become impossible. Recent research has found that wearable gloves that stimulate the
nerves which communicate with the brain, can improve the tactile
discrimination (quality of the sense of touch) of patients.

Today, we're one step closer to fully-functional robotic exoskeletons. Engineers in italy have created the world's most complex wearable robot - an exoskeleton known as the "Body Extender." They believe this device to have a wide range of applications, from therapy to industrial work. Cool, right?

It was only a matter of time, considering the internet has made the
world's obsession with all things feline rise to new levels. Cat-themed
businesses aren't a new trend, and perhaps that's why the latest
business might make even the craziest of cat ladies shudder with dismay.

April Fool's Day is not far off and the time for preparing your
practical jokes for the day is afoot. This way cool bathmat may be just
the thing to freak out your significant other or houseguests. While they
are in the shower you just sneak in and switch out that boring plain
white bathmat with the Bloody Bathmat -- one covered with bloody footprints and
directional blood spatter. Then you just wait for the screams.

GrabCAD and leading modern product designers at Umbra have teamed up to
task the inventor community to create an exceptional paper towel holder.
They’re ready to reward the coolest designs with cash, gifts and a
potential long term partnership!

While today's emphasis on all-things-celebrity seems at times all-consuming, the mashups of certain couples' names have
entered our lexicon, dating all the way back to the ill-fated
relationship of "Bennifer" [Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez]. Others like
"Brangelina" [Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie] have stood the test of
time, while the dubbing of the would-be coupling of "Kimye" [Kim
Kardashian & Kanye West] portends a short-lived hook-up. On a much
more somber note, combining the names of Hitler and Putin - to 'Putler'. . .

What car has four wheels, one door and no seats? The Kenguru of course! Able to cruise at up to 45 km/h (28 mph) with a range of up to 110 km (68 miles), the environmentally friendly and electrically powered Kenguru offers wheelchair users roll-in, drive-away convenience in a great-looking, affordable package.

Who needs to buy pet costumes when you can create your own using colored
pet hair spray by PetPaint? This is a colored hair spray that looks so
natural on your pets, you will be amazed how it transforms them. You
will want to use this pet-safe fur color for any holiday or occasion,
not just Halloween, and it's so darn much fun!

Robots might not be capable of emotion, but they can certainly fake it. Take, for example, Z-Machines, a party-robot band based out of Japan. Recently, the group collaborated with an electronic artist by the name of Squarepusher. The result? A robots' song lamenting their lot as entertainment machine.

No one's quite sure what causes the phantom limb effect, nor do we have an adequate medical explanation for why an amputee might experience muscle cramps or pain in a nonexistant appendage. In spite of this, one researcher in Sweden thinks he might be zeroing in on a cure...and it involves gaming.

Although our ties with Russia sometimes walk across a political tightrope, there's no underestimating this nation's scientific and technical contributions. Across the centuries, many inventions that have changed the course of our daily lives have emanated from the briliiant minds of Russian scientists. Here are ten for your reading edification.

Whether you get hot flashes from menopause, nervousness, embarrassment,
exercise, medication, or stress, or you just tend to sweat a lot, don't
sweat it any more. A new product called Exert Smart Body Coolant® addresses all of that just by spraying it on your body once daily in the morning. Then, you're good to go.

Samsung and LG pair fitness technology with their new smartphones. In recent years, we have see the rise in fitness technology, like heart rate monitors and fitbands. Now smartphone companies are getting involved. The Samsung Galaxy S5 and LG G Flex will soon release their own fitness gadgets. By marketing fitness technology with smartphones, more people are being exposed to technology that facillitates an active lifestyle.

Anyone who has spent time on Pinterest.com (a very popular social
sharing site) has seen the same tips showing up over and over and over
again. These tips look really great. But do they
work? Many do but there are a surprisingly large number of very popular
pins that are total duds. Here's my list of Top 10 Time Wasting Tips on Pinterest - The Pin Tips That Don't Work:

If your front door looks like mine, you will appreciate the Pebble Smart
Doggie Doorbell. I think it's one of the most ingenious pet products
created in some time, and I recommend that you at least consider
investing in this clever device for a few reasons: one, to keep your dogs
from scratching up your doors when they want to come inside (or go
outside); and two, to have some great fun training and rewarding your dogs
for using it.

If you've ever tried a Paleo diet, or taken a course of antibiotics
after a nasty encounter with Bolivian water, you may be curious as to
what microbes live in your body, or lived until you killed them with
antibiotics. Today the founder of uBiome, a startup that allows you to discover your microbiome, was named as the leader of one of Indigogo's hottest campaigns led by women. Jessica Richman raised $351,193 back in November for her world first citizen research campaign to sequence the human microbiome.

Welcome to Spritz, a new spin on reading. By using speed, conditioning, and optimal recognition point science, you can learn how to read up to 1000 words-per-minute. Available on the Samsung Galaxy S5 and Gear 2, will Spritz change the way we read as humans, or, will it need to wait until other technologies catch up first?